Folding chair



UNITED sri-iras PATENT curator.`

R. MCG. LYTLE, XVM. J. ALSTON, AND lLORENZ() \V. TRUE, OF YVILLIAMSON,TENNESSEE.

FOLDING CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 22,297', dated December 14, 1858.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, R. MCG. LYTLE, 7. J. ALsToN, and LORENZO W. TRUE,of the county of lhfilliamson, State of Tennessee, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Portable Chains, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which-Figure l. represents a perspect-ive view of the chain set up. Fig. 2.represents a perspective view of the chair folded for transportation.Fig. 3. represents a plan of the seat on the under side. Figs. 4f. 5. 6and 7. represent in detail the connection of the arms to the seat. Figs.8 and 9. represent in detail the connection of the legs to the seat, andthe side bar to the hind legs. Figs. 10. l1 and l2. represent the detailof the connection of the back with the seat.

In the portable chair and stool as heretofore constructed the comfortconvenience and ease of the chair are almost entirely sacrificed to giveto it great compactness and lightness: the seats of these chairs arehard and confortless, the foundation unstable, the back affords nosupport, and in fact 'they are but make shifts for ease or comfort andconvenience. The parts are generally so arranged as to be disjointed inpacking, hence there is a liability of losing some of the parts therebyrendering it useless.

To overcome these defects, and at the same time form a strong, light,compact and portable chair or stool; one that is not easily broken, notliable to get out of order, is quickly set up, and easily packed7 is theobject of our improvements.

By reference to the annexed drawing our invention will be fullyunderstood.

Our improved chair in its general form resembles the ordinary arm chairwith a seat (A) supported by four legs (0;, a) connected with each otherby cross bars (b, b) both at the sides and at the front and back: andprovided with a back (B) and arms The back is connected to the seat by ahinge joint (CZ) and also by the arms (C) the upper leaf of the hinge ismade fast to the back, and the lower leaf attached to the seat by asliding bolt (e), the withdrawing l of which releases the hinge from theseat.

The arms (C) imite with the back by a staple joint (c), and areconnected at the front with the seat by a grooved bolt (f) which entersthe slot in a socket plate (g), arranged to admit the head of the boltand allow it to be drawn toward the back of the chair into the narrowpart of the slot; the plate entering the grooves in the bolt head, andpreventing it from being drawn out vertically. A spring stop (h.) whichcloses the broad partof the slot is depressed by the bolt as it enters,and springs back when the bolt is drawn backward into the narrow partand prevents the bolt from slipping forward. The arms are released bypressing on a knob (z') which depresses the stop (7L) and opens thewidest part of the slot so that the bolt can be withdrawn.

Taper-ing metal sockets (7c) are inserted into and made fast to theframe work of the seat on the under side and project a short distance,and have a recess (Z1) cut out of the lower edge on the sides oppositeeach other. These sockets receive the head of the legs which areattached by a pivot passing through the socket transversely, and througha long slot in the head of the legs. This slot allows the legs to bewithdrawn a sufficient distance to free the head so that it can turn onthe pivot and be folded down close to the bottom of the chair; the upperpart of the leg entering the recess (Z) The front and back cross bars(b) are permanently connected with the front and back legs. The sidebars (b) are united with the front legs (a.) by a strap (o) passingaround the leg and riveted to the bar; and connected with the back legsby a bolt (p) and socket plate (q) similar to the one previouslydescribed connecting the arms to the seat, with the exception of thespring stop. This strap admits of the side bars when released from theback legs being turned inward, and they are so arranged by means of asloping slot (fu) cut in the ring, through which a pin (s) is drawn,that one bar rises and the other falls as they are turned inward, so asto pass each other and close in between the front legs.

In packing the chair for transportation the arms are released from theseat and turned inward toward the back; the back folded down andconfined to the seat by a catch (t) the side bars are then disconnectedfrom the back legs and turned inward between t-he front, the rear legsare then drawn out and folded down, and the front legs folded over therear and confined to the seat` The back may be removed so as to form astool, by disconnecting the arms and sliding back the bolt whichconfines the lower leaf of the hinge to the seat. Thus it will be seenthat none of the members are disconnected from the seat in packing thechair, but all remain permanently connected Awith each other, thus thereare no loose pieces as in other portable chairs, that are liable to belost. The folding down of one part also retains and keeps in place otherparts, as the back retains the arms7 and the front legs retain the backlegs in place.

The chair may be made in anywforni or design that fancy dictates-may beupholstered in the most elaborate manner, be provided with a springcushion seat and back. The scat may have an air cushion, and thus fornia life preserver; or instead of an air cushion, rubber tubing may bearranged between the springs of the spring seat with an externalorifice, so that it can be inated when occasion requires.

Ve do not confine ourselves to the preoise modes of connecting thedifferent meinbers composing the chair, with the seat or with eachother, as any of the wel] known modes of connection may frequently besubstituted with advantage, so as to retain all parts in connection witheach other.

Having thus described our improvements in portable chairs, what we claimand desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. The arrangement of t-he armsand also of the back, substantially as described, so that the backretains the arms in place when folded.

2. The arrangement of the legs, substantially as described, so that oneset of legs folds over and retains the other set in place.

3. The combination of the slotted bolt with the socket plate and springstop arranged substantially as described for connecting the arms withthe seat.

4. In combination with the side bars we claim the screw strap or itsequivalent for connecting the bars with the legs, so that when foldedbetween the legs one is raised and the other depressed for the purposeset forth.

5. Connecting the legs with the seat by means of a hinged socket jointarranged substantially as described so that each pair of legs can bewithdrawn from their sockets and folded down without being disconnectedfrom each other or from t-he seat for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we have subscribed our names.

R. MCG. LYTLE. lV. J. ALSTON. LORENZO WV. TRUE.

lllitnesscs for R. MCG. Lytle: l". Sorrrnea'rn SMITH, JOHN S..HoLLINGsHnAn Witnesses for Alston and True:

RAN DALL M. EWING, JOHN Z. VREN.

